It includes more trinitario-type cacaos with a high content of criollo genotype that are grown in the Andean region of Venezuela. It has mild notes of almond and coffee, excellent finesse, smoothness, and finish.

Domori – Sur Del Lago Clasificado

A good representative for the Sur Del Lago appelation and perhaps the most “typical” of Domori’s chocolates. Somewhat darker than is common for Sur Del Lagos, it’s a good example of how to create a blending base. Sur Del Lago has the baffling property of seeming to contain enormous potential yet never quite generate excitement when made into a bar. This makes it the perfect candidate for blending. Clearly this is a chocolate Domori makes use of in creating their blends and it’s a nice all-around chocolate. Nothing particularly exciting, yet good enough to be a regular buy.

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Reviews

Hans-Peter Rot: 19-Oct-2006

SCORES

Score/10

Weight

Aroma:

10%

Look/snap:

5%

Taste:

35%

Melt:

5%

Length:

15%

Opinion:

30%

Total/100:

100%

INFO

Best before:

Batch num:

Source:

Supplied by:

DomoriÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s crudely molded bars match perfectly with the somewhat feral and wild aromas. The initial alcohol/bleu cheese tones need time to settle before the real aroma reveals itself as authentic Sur del Lago. First, the dark notes of coffee and raisins, and then everything else: strawberries, flowers, and sweet almonds, as well as a mild acidity. Both elegant and strong and also very complex; here we have Sur del Lago at its best and most promising to date.

And sure enough, the flavor puts its best foot forward. Heavy and full-bodied yet always fruity with strawberries, the chocolate wastes no time and impresses the moment it melts. Blueberries and melon lie low eventually, but the ubiquitous undertone of coffee and raisins add that necessary backbone to keep the chocolate going strong until grapes and nuts close things off.

Texture is, of course, excellent if a bit dry at first and thicker when compared to the other bars in the Cru range, but overall there is no room for criticism, especially when the flavor is this good. Although this is a very classic Sur del Lago rendition, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s also one of the better ones on the market, one has to admit. The chocolate harmonizes all of its flavors seamlessly and presents a very relaxing yet bold character that should appeal to a wide group of people. It might seem slightly darker, however, but Domori knew the beans’ limits. They apparently have a good handle here.

Alex Rast: 24-May-2006

SCORES

Score/10

Weight

Aroma:

10%

Look/snap:

5%

Taste:

35%

Melt:

5%

Length:

15%

Opinion:

30%

Total/100:

100%

INFO

Best before:

Batch num:

Source:

Supplied by:

Like a lot of Sur Del Lago bars, this one has a neutral brown colour, perhaps with a slight cast of maroon. Finish follows the Domori norm – so there is some bubbling visible but the surface looks very clean and even. As with all Domoris, be sure to air the chocolate after taking it out of the plastic to avoid plasticky off-odours.

The aroma itself is particularly excellent, strawberries dominating, and in the background a constant low note of woods and earth, mixed with some tropical fruits. It’s as if Domori has captured the essence of the rainforest in the bar. It does indicate a fairly dark roast, in this case a good choice. Flavour is immediately strongly fruity, again with the strawberry being very dominant along with blueberries and melon, gentle, relaxed tones, not a sharp sensation. As the flavour develops it becomes increasingly dark – coconut, coffee. One might imagine the fruity flavours would clash with coffee but in this bar the combination works. The flavour lingers for a while, helping to maximise the benefit from the later-developing nuances.

Texture is expertly smooth – a hallmark of Domori who produce one of the smoothest chocolates in the industry. It might have a slightly dry mouthfeel but this is more of a slight thing than a major, noticeable effect. Clearly this is an excellent chocolate, and yet somehow it almost seems as if it would be more fitting in a blend – a chocolate that is very good in its own right but needs some extra distinction to set it apart. Sur Del Lago comes off as a bean with a lot of potential, and yet bafflingly all the principal chocolatiers deliver chocolates that are good but have no “”wow”” factor. Domori in this case is no exception, but in giving a nice, typical Sur Del Lago presentation they can be criticised for few faults.